Searching for the Dead
by The Nightdreamer
Summary: Last in the Houses trilogy. "Rising? Twin Masters?" "Yes." Trying to find the lost souls, they must hurry. Time is running out.
1. Something Gone Wrong

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 1:

The group looked around, scared at why they were suddenly in a meeting with everyone else, with the Heads of the Houses.

"SILENCE!"

The ancestor's voice trailed down the room. Everyone turned to him. He cleared his throat, and began. "Everyone knows about four's deaths, and we all mourn them. We have waited for their deaths, however, they cannot join our council."

There were immediately outbursts of rage and horror from the Ancestors and the Heads at the thought of the four of them not achieving a place in the Council. They were more than deserving of a seat, though the humans looked confused.

The Ancestor then banged his weapon to the table, cracking it slightly. "Listen! It is not that we do not want them to join, it is because we cannot locate them." There were confused murmuring after this, and he continued. "We would be able to locate them, but now, someone or something is hiding them from us, not wanting us to find them."

"And you only tell us about it only _after_ they passed the _second_ time?" Rosefinch demanded.

The Ancestor frowned. "We were unsure about this. Immediately after they had passed, we had to send you back in time, changing reality. Therefore, we didn't know it before."

Sefa then stepped forward, bowing to the Ancestor. "My lord, if I may." He nodded. Sefa continued.

"The only other place that the dead can go to. We think it is the Land of the Dead. We cannot be certain, but we only have one chance. That is why we came." She turned to the squads. "Please. We need your help. Are you willing to travel to the Land of the Dead to save them?"

Kowloon realised what they were doing. They were giving them a chance. Like the four had did when they could choose to go or not. His decision was final, and he could tell his friends agreed with him. "We're all going."

* * *

Sefa nodded, inwardly worried for her youngest child: Her daughter. Yue was powerful, she couldn't deny that, but she was still so _young_. When something had struck the Houses, she was already advisor of the Council for 845 years. Yue was only advisor to 645 years.

As she looked at the younger generation's friends, determined and proud, she knew why Yue and Lin Chung had befriended them, not forgetting Ri and Zi. She herself had forgotten a lot of the Mortal World, and she remembered Yue's face when she was looking around.

She must've looked stupid. Suppressing a chuckle at that wistful memory, she frowned again inwardly. Twin Masters was rising.

And the four would be called upon to battle him. She didn't like this idea, and she felt that there was something more to his plan, though she couldn't figure it out yet. She hated the idea of Yue charging into war, though, by the Houses' standard, she was also quite powerful. Lin Chung was the most powerful of them all, of course, but, still, she didn't always want to rely on the Head's skills to protect her daughter.

They were close, that was true, but she sometimes felt that Lin Chung always bore too much pressure and stress on his back, something that he shouldn't have to cope with. If Twin Masters had attacked when Fortem was still Head, she would have had complete faith in him.

Lin Chung...she hesitated. Lin Chung was powerful, of course, but still. She may have doubted his skills before, but not now. The only thing that was stopping her from believing in her was the fact that he was...different. Different from all of the other Heads.

More sympathetic, that was one. Lin Chung sometimes didn't have the heart to kill the enemy, which worried her immensely. What is he didn't kill Twin Masters? What is something happened that would affect his decision?

She didn't like this at all. Yue. Yue was the reason she was always so happy. Yue could brighten up the mood... she still couldn't point out her flaw, though, and that frustrated her. The fact that she didn't have enough time with her daughter to know what her daughter's fatal flaw was and try to oppress it frustrated her. Lin Chung's fatal flaw...now, _that_ was something to be feared by. That was one thing that drove Fortem crazy.

He didn't know what Lin Chung would be thinking of doing next. That was just it. Fortem wanted an obedient child, someone who he could trust, but Lin Chung wasn't always living up to his expectations. To be honest, she pitied the poor child, always being depended on from the young age of 6.

Sefa frowned. _Back on task_, she scolded herself mentally, before she turned to the group. "To help them, you have to trust us." They nodded almost immediately, and they vanished. Sefa herself vanished in a small whirlpool, the others following not too soon after.

* * *

**AN: And there is the first chapter. **


	2. Memories Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108;

Chapter 2:

Flashbacks:

The group watched the scene. Lin Chung was around 3 in the scene, but his intimidating gaze was evident, and his grey hair was in a swift cut, like someone had used a knife to slash it off.

He was leaning against a tree, high up in the branches, waiting for something. Four adults came out, and he smirked, staying hidden. His eyes shone with mischief. As the adults turned around, he leapt to another tree with grace, looking down. The adults were frozen, looking around.

When nothing happened, he continued on, still smirking with amusement. He eventually reached a lake, and slid into it, keeping hidden. He stayed there until the adults passed, and got out silently, leaping onto a tree, and shaking himself dry, before he continued on.

He reached a clearing where the adults were standing, and watched with hidden amusement, his eyes lit with mirth. "Lin Chung!" The woman screamed. "You get out of there or you're grounded! Not literally!"

The group looked at the present adults, who chuckled. "Lin Chung would actually enjoy being grounded, since, for him, it usually meant that he was stuck under the ground. We had to say that, or he would bury himself under the Earth for who knows how long, and come out when he feels like it."

The memory continued, until Fortem growled. "He can't keep on doing this. He needs to accept responsibility, not keep running away from them."

Ablind sighed, his expression more understanding. "Fortem, we have very high expectations, especially you. You can't expect him to suddenly accept all of this when he only has had 2 years of training!"

"He should." Fortem muttered mutinously.

"He needs time to learn. Leave him to be and let him learn himself. It will be easier for him. And for all of us." He added as an afterthought, making the others laugh.

Fortem turned around. "When you finally decide to show up, you have training! And lessons!"

The adults left the clearing, with Lin Chung sighing, glaring at the ground. He leant back against the tree, looking forward, before he stood up, and leaped down nimbly from the tree. "I need to get another timetable or another teacher." The group laughed, before it faded.

* * *

The next one was with Ri. Ri looked like he always did, mischievous, full of energy, with the trademark grey hair. He was around 5, while Lin Chung, who was after him, was around 8 now. Ri was laughing as he ran, until a wall of Earth got him. He scowled. "Not fair."

"You had the advantage of a full minute. We have to work on your speed now."

"What?!" He scowled. "I like training better."

"I know you do, but we have to think about other factors as well, Ri. That is important. It is not important to defeat your opponent only, but also outwit them."

"Why?"

"Interrogation. That is one of the skills you must learn."

"You learnt that from Albind?" Ri sounded incredulous.

"Believe it or not, yes."

"Wow. Maybe the old crane can actually do something."

"Ri. Stop stalling. C'mon."

"After that, can we go out?"

"If you finish them and the four don't notice, sure." Ri laughed, before running off once again, Lin Chung looking at him in exasperation, before running after him, and grabbing him, letting the Earth swallow them up.

* * *

Zi was now running away with Ri, panting hard. His eyes shone with humour, while Ri was laughing. Zi was around 4 in the scene, while Ri was 9. Another Earthen wall appeared in front of them, which they knocked into.

Lin Chung shook his head, appearing right behind them. "One important factor that you forgot to reconsider. Think about the advantages that your opponent might have, not just you, and make it work for you. You know I can use the Earth and Harmonic energy; so, you try to do the opposite. You, Zi, are air, the complete opposite. Ri, you're a shape-shifter. Use it for once instead of laughing like maniac fools."

"We are not maniac fools." Zi protested.

And that is why you were struggling to stand up like drunken men?" Lin Chung questioned.

"That is something else!" They protested.

"Mm-hm." Lin Chung looked at them flatly. "We are going to go and train."

"What's it in for us?"

Lin Chung lowered his voice. "We finish this early, we go out faster."

Their eyes lit up, and they immediately disappeared, with Lin Chung chuckling in amusement, before he, too, vanished.

* * *

The third one showed the four of them running. "Split up!" Yue choked out, laughing. She had short grey hair, eyes dancing with amusement. They immediately went four separate directions, not seeing where they were running.

They followed each of the four's progress. Lin Chung took one look behind him, before muttering as he dropped into a hole, the Earth closing above him. "Some children go to the _park_ and have fun, but, _nooo_, I'm stuck being chased by my maniac father."

The group laughed at this statement.

Up above, Fortem growled with annoyance, turning around and running away. Lin Chung peered up slightly, laughing quietly, before disappearing into the Earth once again.

They were now following Ri, who looked behind him, eyes wide with alarm, before he vanished into flames, muttering just like his brother had. "Most children get punished by being grounded or being banned from something, but _nooo_, I'm being chased by my mother who will burn me if she catches me."

The group laughed once more as Sara growled with annoyance, huffing, before turning around and running away.

Zi was next, grinning as he ran, while the others could hear Albind and Fortem shouting at him angrily. The group turned to the four adults. "What did they do?"

The four winced. "Let's not talk about it."

They went back to the flashback, where Zi was also muttering under his breath. "Most children are _expected_ to have fun, but _nooo, _I'm being raised by two stiff people who have no sense of humour." He frowned, before he simply vanished, the group still choking with laughter.

Yue was last, running straight for the river, with the four in pursuit. She was muttering angrily under her breath. "Most children have their friends and family back them up, but _nooo_, my parents are trying to kill me and my family have ditched me."

The group nearly fell down laughing as she jumped in, not making a ripple, before disappearing.

The scene changed to one in a dimly lit room, where the four were still laughing, having suddenly appearing out of nowhere. They froze as they heard footsteps. Yue's eyes were wide with alarm. "Close the door!" Lin Chung obligingly agreed, locking the door with the Earth.

Everything was silent for a moment, until they heard a crash outside. Yue looked at the door in horror. "What are they doing?"

Lin Chung looked out, wincing. "The chair."

"The chair? The one from the living room?" Lin Chung nodded, and she looked at him, disbelievingly; as did the other two. "But, that, that thing is huge!" The door hinges started breaking, drawing their attention back.

Lin Chung looked at the others. "Go!" With that, he vanished into the Earth. Ri hopped into the air ventilation, securing the lid properly. Zi turned into air, hiding near the shadows, while Yue evaporated, also staying near the light, so that she would stay in that form.

The adults burst in, cursing. "Where are they?!"

Albind groaned. "This is terrible."

Sefa managed a weak grin. "What about the time that we were forced to chase Lin Chung nearly 10 times a day?"

Albind groaned again. "Don't remind me. That certainly built up our stamina and endurance."

Fortem groaned as well. "And it also built his."

The four then appeared, looking at the adults in amusement. "Guys!" Sara growled.

The group turned to the four present. Albind grinned. "For having such a blood-thirsty mother and an annoying family bothering him always, Lin Chung has always been strangely calm for everything."

They turned back. Fortem was frowning. "You guys are in big trouble."

"We know that." Zi nodded. "Why do you think we run? When Lin Chung runs, then it is something _really_ serious."

Lin Chung glared at him, and he cowered. "Sorry." The group smiled slightly at that.

"That's it. No powers for a month."

"A _month_?" Ri looked at them incredulously. They nodded firmly, and Lin Chung looked at them as they looked at one another, before they nodded.

Immediately, they dodged the adults or shoved them out of the way, running out of the room, Yue shouting back. "No magic or powers!" _The group, watching the scene, laughed with amusement as they watched the antics of their friends, indeed entertained. _

* * *

_The scene changed soon enough,_ with the four sitting around, bored out of their minds. Lin Chung was in between the ceiling beams, reading a book using a light made with magic. Yue was lying on the tall window's sill, looking bored as she played with a small sphere of water. Zi was lifting things up, floating, while Ri was on the ground, experimenting with fire.

The door slammed open, and the four stopped the magic immediately. The water evaporated, the fire disappeared, and the things set themselves right properly, with Lin Chung turning off the light.

"Morning." Sefa smiled at them.

"Morning." They chorused back, not looking at her.

Yue picked up a cup. "What is this?"

"Drinks. Herbs."

"You sure this isn't poison?" The three looked up at Yue.

"Why would I feed you poison?" Sefa demanded.

But it was Zi who answered. "Because that's what you do with prisoners." The group burst out laughing, watching the four there.

Ri stretched. "Can we go outside?"

"No." Fortem joined Sefa.

"Why not?"

"You already went out."

Zi cleared his throat. "If we stood in the sun for 10 minutes, it gives us the vitamins we need. Vitamin D or C. Don't know."

Lin Chung sighed in exasperation. "D."

Zi nodded. "What he said."

"And you'll stop poisoning us." Yue noted.

"What?" Sefa growled at them.

"Have you drank this stuff? _No_, thank you." Yue put the cup back on the tray.

"You know you are not allowed to go out." Sefa nodded firmly.

Lin Chung looked at her flatly. "You know I can get out any time I want to, right?"

"Don't. What's that?" She asked, seeing the book in his hands.

"Old family memo. Didn't know there was so much ugly pictures of you." Sefa sighed, snatching the book.

"Where did you get this?"

"The library." Lin Chung said, looking bored as he leapt down nimbly.

"You are not allowed outside." Albind said angrily.

"I am not going outside _outside_, I am going outside the room. Anyway, how do you think we are not trying to kill one another from boredom?"

"No idea." Sefa slammed the door shut. The four sighed.

* * *

The four were now running away, looking back at the dimly lit tunnels. They were looking behind all the time, scared.

Lin Chung ushered them forward before growling, kicking a man who was following them, and doing something to him using his fingers so that the man froze, paralysed.

"Yes, I'll teach you later." He told Yue, who was looking at him expectantly. She nodded, and continued running.

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked.**


	3. Memories Part II

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 3:

_The group found themselves inside a dimly lit room. _

It was big, and looked quite well-attended to, with the things all neatly packed. There were several small children, around the age of 2, sleeping peacefully in cots. Several adults watched over the children, talking quietly to themselves. Outside, rain poured down like hail, banging against the windows, while lightning lit up the house, and thunder startled every one of them from time to time. One of the adults then looked up at a clock on the wall, muttering to himself, before he went back to the conversation.

Not long after, 4 figures dropped from the ceiling and onto the floor. They landed in the shadows, but the adults turned to them, drawing their weapons, before stopping, and putting them away. One of them, clearly the leader, smiled warmly. "Yue. Lin Chung. Zi. Ri."

"Hello Vera." Yue smiled as well, hugging the lady tightly. "How is everything?"

The adults looked worried, before another one spoke. "Not well, I'm afraid. The drought has hit us hard, with the famine following not soon after. Then, there was the flood, and the harsh winter, where crops simply refused to grow. We are panicking, as are all the other people. If not for your kindness, we wouldn't have survived. More importantly, _they_ wouldn't have survived." He gestured to the sleeping children. Yue smiled, walking over to the cots, brushing her finger against one of the children. The child, who's face had been scrunched up, like she was having a nightmare, instantly relaxed, even smiling as she drifted back to a peaceful sleep.

Lin Chung turned to the window, looking at the rain that was falling on the window. He studied a few cracks in the windows, before waving his hand slightly, closing all the cracks. The one that had spoken before smiled at him, before going back to his nervous wife. "And all the while, has this hit any other place?"

The adults numbly shook their heads. Ri sighed. "Do you remember the prophecy? There was a prophecy created."

Another one, Anthony, nodded. "You told us. Something about our descendants, who will, along with you, ensure that someday, Twin Masters will be killed. Permanently."

Yue nodded, where she was still gently stroking the child's hair. "That is correct. Your generation is one of the important ones, for some reason, and Twin Masters will stop at nothing to kill them, to ensure the prophecy isn't completed."

"So he'll try to kill them? Can you stop him from attacking?" The nervous wide asked the four.

Zi regretfully shook his head. "Fiona, we have done all we could, warning you of this danger. We cannot do any more, I'm afraid. Some of the laws that link us Houses and the Mortal World prevent us from directly interfering, and we have to follow them. The only reason why we are here was because Yue managed to find several loopholes in the rules, enabling us to come here and talk to you, but we cannot help defeat Twin Masters now. He does not know we are in the Mortal World, and so, we must keep it that way. If he finds out before we can strengthen the protection spell on the Houses, he will attack the Houses, seeing that we are not there. The other Houses are strong, yes, but we are the ones that can really get him away."

Ri nodded. "And, if what the prophecy says is true, then they will learn, in time, to become powerful warriors. But, for now, you have to teach them everything they know, and protect them the best you can. Only if they are in mortal danger, then are we allowed to interfere, and help them."

"Can you protect them?"

"We told you, Vera, we can't directly interfere and help you guys openly." Lin Chung said, his back still to them as he stared out at the stormy grey sky.

"Then can you do it indirectly?"

"That depends on what you mean."

"Will they be safe?"

Yue sighed heavily. "If what the prophecy said was right, then they would survive, to have another generation, and another, until finally, it is the one mentioned in the prophecy. We warn you, we do not know what the prophecy means. They usually have second meanings."

"But, if you can, can you protect them?"

"Possibly."

"Then promise me, you four. Promise me that you will always take care of our children and their descendants."

Finally turning around from the window, Lin Chung spoke. "You have our word."

* * *

**AN: Hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Memories Part III

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 4:

"I still don't get what Grandfather meant when he told the four of them to take care of us and our descendants. They can't live that long, can they?" The others shrugged, before Maria stood up, and left the room, heading to the kitchen, where the others followed, closing the door behind them.

Four shadowed figures then dropped down from the ceiling, looking down at the cribs. "So, the new generation. The one that will help us." Yue turned to Lin Chung and Zi, confirming what she said was right. They nodded.

"They are now innocent, but we have to train them somehow."

Yue looked questioning, before she turned to Lin Chung. "You can do it."

"Do what?"

"You can train them."

"How?"

"Simple. Get them to ally themselves with Big Green. You can join, and train them."

"No way."

"Yes you can. You trained us, you can train them. Come on, Lin Chung, you are the most experiences out of all of us, and you are the best at fighting."

"But how do I do it? Even if I wanted to, I can't."

"Yes you can."

"Yue..."

"Please. Just until we can confirm their loyalties and if they are serious. You need to make them battle-hardened and knowing. If not, we're doomed."

Lin Chung sighed. "Fine, but I won't make promises."

"Just try."

* * *

The group watched as the younger versions of them wandered through the forest, heading deeper and deeper. They were then attacked by Twin Masters' minions, which they cowered in terror from.

The four scowled, before dropping out of the trees, silently sneaking up on the monsters, attacking them, finishing them off quickly.

The four looked at the memory. Ri started speaking. "So, Zi will go and make sure that Twin Masters isn't rising. I'll turn into a bear or something and spy on the East Citadel."

Lin Chung nodded. "I'm going to go to Big Green, and try to help them from the front lines. Yue?"

"I'll be going to the Panthers. They have a lot of scrolls about the history, and things we don't have. I need to do some research about Twin Masters. Something tells me that Twin Masters has been plotting something earlier than we expected."

"Alright." They looked at one another, the amused glint shining in their eyes, before they disappeared in different ways. Yue turned into a stream of water, which evaporated as Ri disappeared in a column of flames. Zi vanished as the air wrapped around him, before Lin Chung also went, the earth sucking him up.

* * *

**AN: Next chapter, and the memories will end hopefully in the next chapter. **


	5. Memories Part IV

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 5:

"And how are they?" Yue asked Lin Chung.

"They are good warriors and fighters, but can sometimes let the fact go into their head. They are loyal, but sometimes…too argumentative, though only verbally. They don't seem to have any interest in working together."

"Then you must train them further. Let them see the error of their ways."

Lin Chung shot Ri a flat look. "I think that the chances of Yue joining the Pack is more likely to happen than that."

Zi sent his cousins a look. "What Ri means, is that you don't need to do that. Simply just get them to bond with each other, trust one another through their arguments. If they don't work together and are not loyal to each other, it could be their downfall."

"Isn't that basically the same thing?" He asked flatly. Yue laughed at his face, before she looked down, instantly calming down at the glare her brother shot her.

Lin Chung sighed. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try."

"That's all we ask for."

"Until we all meet again." Yue bowed, vanishing in water. The other two bowed, before vanishing in flames and air. Lin Chung sighed, suddenly looking weary, before he finally vanished in the ground.

* * *

Yue's face was energetic and eager as she looked at her family. "I've found something interesting. Look. You know the mortal animals and teenagers you told us about?" There were three nods. "Well, I was thinking about how they were like that, and decided to do some research on their family tree. They may be more important than we realised."

"How?"

"Like this. The guy, Kowloon, apparently, is the far of descendant of a distant relative of one of the faded Houses of War: The House of Warriors. Mystique Sonia is one of the descendants of the House of Oddity."

"Hey!" Sonia looked offended, but the four didn't pay any attention to her. One of the ancestors shook their heads.

"Sonia, you know they can't hear you, right? This is only a flashback."

"I was thinking about how you said she was, you know, and what she could do. The House of Oddity had many strange things about them physically and mentally,"

"OI!" Yet they didn't hear her.

"But they are also known of how they use this to their advantage. She could be one of the members there. Alpha Girl is from another House of War, the House of Strength,"

"Hey!" This time, it was Zi who interrupted Yue.

"What?!" She shot him an annoyed look.

"How come Ri gets all the people in the House of War?"

"Don't know. Shut up."

"It's because the Houses of War are better. Are they blood-thirsty?" Ri turned to Lin Chung, who shook his head.

"Not exactly. They don't know about all of this. Too young. Fights a lot, but are still good. They don't know when to stop, though."

"Oh look, no sensibility. That's old." Zi looked surprised, turning to Ri, who had an offended look on. "Except for you."

"Will you shut up and let me continue?!" Yue shrieked at them, before turning back. "Right. Archer and Hurricane are both from the same House, the House of Archers and Axes."

"No wonder they look so different." Zi muttered, still offended.

Yue ignored him. "What about Ray?" Ri asked her.

"What about him?"

"I don't know what he possesses. It's not like anyone else's. Is he related to Sonia, perhaps? Maybe also in the House of Oddity?" Zi asked her.

_"Related to her?" Ray asked incredulously. _

_"Related to him?" Sonia asked incredulously. _

_"_**_You have got to be joking!_**_" The two chorused, backing away from each other._

"No." _The two breathed a sigh of relief, as Sonia glared at Ray. _"Ray is a descendant from the House of Lightning, explaining his eyes. Rosefinch, the Air Force member you mentioned, I think that she is a descendant from the House of Nobility."

"Can't we reveal it to them?"

"No. It would only put them in more danger."

"But why?"

Yue sighed, rubbing circles on her temples. "Guys, you don't understand. Two of them are closer to the Houses than we thought. Kowloon and Rosefinch. They are nearly direct descendants. Therefore, once they are found out and no one objects to this and refuses their position instead for the one-month grace period, they could actually claim a seat in the Council, which has to be permitted by you, Lin Chung. But still, they have to earn their titles before they can be acknowledged as full members of the Houses. For now, they are only half-members. And Twin Masters can use them."

"How?"

"Simple. Lin Chung, you are close to these mortals. This is why we are supposed to not be with any mortals. He can easily use them as bait and make sure you do whatever he wants to, in exchange for their lives. We're from the House of Shape-Shifting and Magic, the Head of the Houses, and it is you, Lin, who are close to these mortals as _Head_. It is a risky position, unless someone else agrees to take the position, putting you in a much safer position, which'll never happen."

"So is there anything we can do?"

"Well, there are two options. We can either let them live and try to steer Twin Masters' attention away from them, or eliminate the threat."

"Which means what, Ms. Fancy Words?" Zi looked bored.

Yue scowled. "We kill them."

"I say we kill 'em." Ri nodded.

Lin Chung looked at him wearily. "We can't just go around killing people."

"Maybe we can try and remove any sign of their family tree." Zi added, thoughtfully.

"If we do that, then they won't have the abilities they have now. They'll be powerless." Ri looked uncertain. "They won't be able to defend themselves when Twin Masters attacks."

"And, anyway, they are only half-members of the Houses. They could claim a seat, but they won't have the long life-span." Lin Chung shook his head.

Zi shook his head. "They could last for about 2 centuries if we give them the blessing of the Houses."

"Yue?" The three turned to Yue.

She sighed. "Well, Ri is right,"

The three turned to her, talking at once. Ri saying: "I am?"

And the other two also talking at the same time, "He is?" _The group stifled giggles and chuckles. _

"Yet, Zi's is reasonable."

"It is?" This time, all three of them looked at her. _The group was chuckling softly now._

"But I'm gonna have to go with Lin Chung's."

"You are?" The three chorused once again. _The group burst into laughter at this scene, while the four parents smiled in amusement._

"Um...yeah."

Lin Chung then flickered violently. "Don't have much time. Gotta finish this."

"Wait. What about Jumpy and Golden-Eye Husky?"

"They're just normal kings."

"You mean they don't have any higher position?"

"Why would they? None of the others are Kings or Queens."

"What about you and Lin Chung?"

"Your point is?"

"You are the Seeker of the Elements and Seasons, and the Advisor for the council, _as well as_ a member of the House of Shape-Shifting and Magic. Lin Chung is the Seeker of Protection, Head of the House of Shape-Shifting and Magic, therefore making him Head of the Council, as no one has been brave enough to challenge him."

"Or perhaps they like him."

"Guys. Look, Yue, are you sure?"

"Yes. I got some scrolls from Zi. If he got the wrong information, then we're all wrong."

"Then tell us why we shouldn't kill them."

"First, the simpler points. 1. We can't go sneaking around killing people. It would be a violation against the code, murdering members of another House, even if it were only half-members.

2. If we were caught doing that, we would be questioned, leading to more trouble.

3. Finally, if Lin Chung is caught with us, where are we going to be? He won't be trusted again, and we can't get any info then.

Now, other ones. If we can somehow make sure they're loyal to the Mortal World and the Houses, we can actually achieve something."

"Yeah. And what about if they demand their seats in the council and turn on us at the last minute?"

"We'll have them swear that they won't betray us. And if Lin Chung is willing to. He'll know. Right?" They turned to him, and he nodded, before they heard some of First Squad's members calling Lin Chung.

He cursed silently under his breath. "Got a minute."

"Look, you must train them."

"Impossible. We discussed it before."

"Train them to trust each other."

"No."

"Lin Chung!" The trio looked at Yue disapproving face and her crossed arms, her feet tapping the floor impatiently.

"No promises."

"Just promise you will _try_."

"Fine." The voices in the background got louder. "Give me a sec." He disappeared as he seemed to say something, and the voices quietened as he returned. "Got to go now."

"Commander Apetrully?" Ri only received a nod. "Is he ever going to keep out of trouble?" All Ri got was a shrug, before Lin Chung flickered, and vanished.

"Well, I have to go as well." Yue sighed. "There is a meeting about something boring that I'll probably fall asleep halfway through." She smiled, saluted, and vanished as well, followed soon by both Ri and Zi, who had gleams in their eyes.

* * *

**AN: And here's the last of the memories. **


	6. Found

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 6:

"You have gone through what you need." Sefa announced, as they returned back to the First Squad briefing room.

"Why did we need to see those memories?" Sonia asked them, curious.

Sefa sighed. "You see, the Land of the Dead is a dangerous place. It is a very negative place. The Houses are not encouraged there, and, so, you need very strong belief in them in order to try and even hope of _seeing_ them. Your belief has to be strong in them. Seeing those memories can help improve your belief in them."

The group slowly nodded, before Kowloon breathed out. "How do we get to the Land of the Dead?"

Fortem sighed, looking grave. "Listen. We can get you there, but you have to find the four in order to get back."

"Wait. Do you mean that, if we fail, we-"

"Won't come back? Yes." Albind nodded, before he waved a hand in the air. "If you don't want to go, you don't have to." Rosefinch raised a silent and discreet eyebrow to Sefa, who had just slipped her something in her hand. It felt like a ring of some sort.

Rosefinch stubbornly shook her head. "They helped us. We're going to help them." The Ancestors nodded, before they disappeared, and the group stepped through the portal. They gasped as they arrived at their destination. It was a remote land, with several ravens cawing viciously in the background.

Dry winds blew through this place, while the tree branches swept around, dead. The portal closed behind them. Sonia shuddered. "You mean to say that they've been _here_? For all that _they've done_? That just seems cruel."

"And unjustified." Rosefinch added as she looked around. The negative vibes of this place was getting to her. She could already feel the belief in the Houses wearing out slightly, but it stayed strong, though memories of little details about them were slowly vanishing. She smiled, knowing it was the four's influence somehow that she could still remember. "We should find them quickly."

"Yes." The others agreed as she quickly took up the lead, wondering where the four would be. She frowned, suddenly feeling her belief flickering (If it was possible). She stopped the group, who were also frowning, as if trying to solve a puzzle that they couldn't.

She shook her head. "We go the other way. The Houses' influence should be good on us, and it isn't working here." Nodding again, the others followed her as she sprinted to the other direction, slowing down as she felt the comforting presence of the Houses.

Rosefinch stepped forward, and backed away instantly as something heavily resembling a Kraken approached her, red eyes glowing dangerously. Kowloon frowned, drawing his sword and taking an experimental swing at the Kraken, who dodged, resulting it in being smacked in the face by Alpha Girl's club. The Kraken growled, before flinging her to the corner, where she managed to get to her feet.

Sonia was also violently whipped to the side as she tried to hit the Kraken, before Ray was falling on top of her, causing her to groan. Rosefinch carefully dodged the Kraken's tentacles, wincing in dismay as she saw her friends slowly get pounded by the monster.

The Kraken now had Kowloon pinned to the ground, and Rosefinch's eyes widened as she saw the tentacle holding his blade in one hand. It struck downward, but, before it could reach it's target, the Kraken was shot with something white that were too fast to comprehend.

Then, a flash of black and grey rushed past them, somehow tackling the oversized Kraken to the ground, and stabbing something straight into him, causing the Kraken to stop, lying limp. Rosefinch frowned as she saw a bamboo shoot ooze out of the monster. _No way_. Only one person she knew used bamboo shoots.

She looked at the person, who had leaped nimbly down, his dark eyes making her feel uncomfortable, yet, oddly relieved. Lin Chung stood before them; his head tilted, his expression musing, and, instead of looking like his usual 22, instead, looked around 14. Yue's age. "Who are you?"

Rosefinch gaped. She noticed the others doing the same, but she ignored them. She stepped forward, slightly hesitantly. "Lin Chung, it's us. Don't you remember us?"

"No." His curt simple answer struck her.

She frowned. "You don't remember us."

"No." He then asked another question before she could. "What are you doing here? I don't see many people who are careless, or foolish, enough to try and face the Kraken in combat."

Kowloon had now cautiously stepped forward to the young Head. "You don't remember us?"

Lin Chung sounded exasperated. "For the last time, no."

"Do you know how you died?" Rosefinch questioned.

He frowned, and answered slowly, as if he was not certain himself. "I-I don't know. Something about a blade. And some amulets."

Rosefinch looked at the others. Something was up. But this was definitely Lin Chung. She looked at him in the eye. "Lin Chung, where are the other 3?"

"The other who?" He asked, sounding lost.

"You know, your brother and cousins? Yue? Ri? Zi?"

"Doesn't ring a bell." Lin Chung remained unfazed.

"But," Rosefinch found herself panicking slightly. "Don't you remember them? You were with them when you first came here!"

He frowned. "Well, I remember 3 people wondering around, and nothing else."

Rosefinch found herself asking him something. "Do you know how to bring us back?"

"Bring you back?"

"To the Mortal World. The world of the living."

"Ah." He looked more understanding, nodding slowly. "But," Her heart froze. "I am missing something. I don't know what. I cannot get back. I know how to, I just can't."

Rosefinch fingered the ring in her pocket, before taking it out. "Is it this?" Lin Chung seemed almost entranced by the ring now, picking it up. It seemed to glow slightly in his hand, before he nodded, and the group found themselves hurtling through night, finally arriving in bright lights.

* * *

**AN: Wonder if this chapter is satisfactory…as always, reviews are welcome.**


	7. Searching

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 7:

"What do you mean?" They looked confused at Albind's complicated explanation of how Lin Chung was like that.

"Simple. Because it also absorbs their age to save their powers, the three of them must've known that only Lin Chung will survive longer than them, because he also has the most power, keeping him alive for longer, and so, let him absorb their powers and minds, to become one, allowing their bodies to simply vanish when the time was up. Because of the energy he now possessed, he was able survive, though he was still rapidly deaging. He managed to hold on until you found him, in his 14-year-old form."

"So you mean that all of the four's powers and minds are..."

"Connected into one body and soul? Yes."

Rosefinch winced. "How do we get them separated?"

"Um, Rosefinch? I think, for now, it is a matter of getting them back into his body."

"Wait, what?" Kowloon interrupted.

Sefa frowned. "Well, look at him." She lowered her voice, gesturing to the boy who sat somewhere away from them, his gaze on them, the thick book that Albind had presented him to the corner. Raising her voice, she asked him. "Aren't you supposed to be reading?"

"Finished." He answered curtly. The group stared, but Sefa smiled slightly.

"Good to see that he kept his fast reading skills."

"And," He continued. "I do not like people talking about me behind my back."

Sefa ignored him. Lin Chung merely looked amused, before starting to play with a ball of Earth, moving it around. "Well, as I said, he doesn't remember you. If he has all of the souls, most importantly, Lin Chung's, he would remember you."

She turned to the boy. "Do you know anything about Twin Masters?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"Because we need to stop him."

"And that is why you brought me out of the Land of the Dead?"

"No," Sefa fumed. "It's complicated."

"He's rising again." His voice was quiet.

"Rising? Twin Masters?"

"Yes. He's planning something big."

"Something big?" Rosefinch seemed to be in a trance, worried at the new enemy.

"Yes. You know him. He wanted to kill you." Lin Chung tilted his head at the four, somehow looking like a lost puppy. "You know him." He repeated. "He knows you."

"Then what do we do?" Kowloon seemed lost.

"We have to find the four souls."

"Then let's find it."

"We can't."

"Why not?"

"Simple. They could be _anywhere_ in the world!" Fortem exclaimed.

Sara interrupted. "Well, we can deduce that Lin Chung would know where all of them are."

"That does not help!" Sefa snapped at her. "This person _here_," The younger boy scowled at her, flipping her off. Some of them chuckled at the move before she scowled as well. "Has no memory of us."

"Then what do we do?"

The room was in silence for a while, before Rosefinch's eyes lit up. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Kowloon asked her, curious.

She didn't reply instantly, instead, running out, ignoring the curious glances from the squads and the ancestors. She returned soon with Lin Chung's staff. "This is our first lead to Lin Chung."

"What? What can his staff do?" Fortem asked her, not exactly knowing what it meant.

"Oh my-" Rosefinch growled with frustration. "Weren't you ever listening when Yue spoke? She said that this staff is enchanted by Lin Chung, so that it can only be used by no one but him."

"No one?" Albind raised an eyebrow at the staff in her possession.

She looked at him flatly. "I'm _carrying_ it, not _using _it. Anyway, the staff will know its owner, remember?"

"What do you mean?"

Rosefinch rolled her eyes. "You have to start to learn from Yue's talks. You'll learn a lot more."

"Since when does Yue talk to _us?_"

Rosefinch sighed. "She _does_. You just don't notice when she is actually telling you helpful things."

"So you're meaning that you have a plan?"

"Yes." Rosefinch sounded determined. "The staff, somehow, will lead us to Lin Chung. Lin Chung, because he was the last to go and the oldest, will probably know the conditions which the others will hide in, though he may not be able to participate due to someone threatening him to release them."

"So what order do we do it in?" Ray shrugged.

Sara's eyes lit up. "We'll find Lin Chung first, then we will find Yue, as she has the slyest mind, and knows where they'll hide. Then, we'll choose either Ri or Zi, which one will take the least time. Brilliant, Rosefinch!" Rosefich smiled, looking down shyly at the compliment by Sara.

* * *

They took off the next day, the staff seeming to lead them to the place that they had to go.

Travelling for a day or two, they eventually reached a cave where they were ambushed by several of Twin Masters' monster creations.

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked. **


	8. One Down, Three To Go

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 8:

Fortem looked around, now slightly nervous. They were too overwhelmed. He looked at the staff in his hands, before nodding in determination. Wielding it with skill, he slashed one of the monsters apart, before going to the next. He could feel the anger of the staff in his hands, though his blood was similar to the staff's owner, so it still obligingly, yet reluctantly, agreed to the new temporary owner.

He looked around the battle, immediately going to help the surrounded. Sefa gasped as he sped towards her, slashing all the monsters into dust. Fortem was stunned himself. The staff carried a lot of power, and it was getting harder to control himself to not try and kill everyone.

Seeing Kowloon stuck in the corner, his sword hastily shoved away, and having no other option, he called for the Second Squad member. "Kowloon! Catch!"

The man immediately caught the staff, fighting back the monster, stopping for a while as he not heard, not seen, but, rather, felt an angry presence trying to scold him, possibly for using the staff. But that didn't last long, before he finished the last monster.

He handed the staff back to Fortem, where the others were gathered. To be honest, he was getting slightly scared of the power that the staff held. "That...is a powerful weapon."

Fortem grinned. "Isn't it?"

"What was that?" Kowloon asked, gesturing to the staff. The others looked puzzled, while Fortem understood exactly what he meant.

He smiled gently, understanding. "You forget. This staff was made by Lin Chung, and spelled on by him. It means that the staff will only rightly call him master, and no one else. The weapon is used to Lin Chung being its owner, so it may have gotten slightly angry."

"This _thing _has thoughts?" Ray sounded incredulous, and the Fortem winced as he felt a strong pulse of anger run through him. "OW!" Ray shouted as he rubbed the back of his head, where he had distinctly felt something hit him.

"What do you _think_?" The boy asked sarcastically, scowling at them. "He spelled it."

"Why did he spell it?" Rosefinch looked curious.

"Simple." Sefa said. "He cast a number of spells on this. You know the one where it will automatically change weapon depending on the situation, then there is the spell that makes sure the staff will not work for any sort of evil unless they are close to Lin Chung himself, or Lin Chung, somehow, allow it."

"We should get going and cover more ground inside." Sefa pointed out, and they entered the cave.

* * *

"Whoa." Kowloon's voice echoed the area. They looked around. There were frozen statues of monsters and animals, and the cave was deserted and nearly destroyed. "He sure had a good fight before he disappeared." The others smiled slightly, the ancestors more cautious of this place.

"There!" Sara pointed. They turned, eyes widening. There was a statue of Lin Chung there, carved to every detail. It was made from rock, and his gaze was narrowed and strict. One of his hands was clutched around empty air, as if the staff was supposed to be there, but it was with them.

Then, "DUCK!" Fortem shouted, and arrows came sprouting out, which Archer returned with his own. The group froze as more monsters came out.

* * *

"What do we do?!" Ray shrieked over the noise, to which Albind shouted back.

"Give up the staff!" Ray obligingly agreed, with the guards now turning around to Albind. He dodged some of them, and back-flipped to smack one of the guards with the staff. All the while, he could feel the staff vibrating obediently, yet with a lot of anger that someone other than its owner would dare to use it. He frowned, turning to the younger clone of Lin Chung, who was fighting 10 of these monsters with relative ease.

He frowned again, before he immediately shouted to the boy, who turned around. "Catch!" The boy caught it deftly, instantly managing to knock out the monsters. With one masterful stroke, he swiped the stone statue.

The statue came to life, before the stone crumbled. The younger boy closed his eyes, before opening them. He was now around 22, and his eyes, instead of the onyx they were before, were now void-like and endless. He wielded the staff with skill, before turning to them, a slight smirk on his face.

"Took you long enough."

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked.**


	9. Dead Sea

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 9:

Finding Yue was not as easy as expected. Unfortunately, she had chosen a sea. A particular sea where they couldn't dive. "How are we supposed to go in?!" Kowloon asked incredulously, looking at the two alive members of the Houses. Mother Nature, or, more commonly known as Nat, had joined them for this, seeing as how she was the Head of the House of the Elements and Seasons.

It was easy for her to decide, since she had always heard Yue tell her that she wanted to see if she could dive in, though she didn't have time. This was the perfect opportunity for her. She could go down into the water. Into the Dead Sea. But that left her friends stuck. Lin Chung looked at the water, before hesitating.

He turned to Nat, before speaking. "Nat, do you think you can get us down there?"

Nat nodded, but still looked unsure. "But I can't guarantee that I will be able to let us breathe, or even _see_ down there."

"Don't worry. We'll take care of that." Fortem gestured to the three of them. Nodding, Nat looked at the others, and peered down, before they all vanished, appearing inside the sea. For a moment, they panicked, thinking they would have no oxygen, before they realised they could breath.

"Cool." Rosefinch grinned, looking around.

"You'll probably be stuck with a lot of salt on you when we get out." Nat winced, slightly sheepish. Lin Chung didn't seem to care, and the parents seemed alright with it. The others, on the other hand, frowned, looking at her out of wide eyes.

"What?!"

They didn't continue as Lin Chung started swimming away, only catching up to him thanks to Albind and Fortem's magic. After several agonising hours, they reached the bottom of the sea, and peered inside a sort of cave.

"Well, you have the same taste as Yue, that's for certain. What's up with the caves?" Sara demanded, but Lin Chung outright ignored her, instead landing neatly and walking in, not looking back. Not having any other option, the others followed him.

They walked in the dark and slightly damp cave, frowning at how empty it was. Ray turned to Lin Chung. "How come it's so empty here? No fish?"

Lin Chung answered blandly while Nat rolled her eyes. "Too much salt. No one can dive down here except for members of the Houses, or if someone managed to find a way to remove the salt, which I find highly unlikely. There is a reason it is called the _Dead_ Sea, you know."

Ray winced at the sharp remark, and hurried to join the others, as Lin Chung stopped at a corner of the cave, and looked out. "This is too easy. Something's up." At that moment, monsters sprang up, surrounding us.

Lin Chung frowned, before swiping a hand at them. Most of them were flung to the side, where they reformed. Nat tried throwing vines at them, only to see them break free. Lin Chung tossed one of them into the ocean, where they vanished, shrieking in pain.

His eyes widened. _Only Yue can kill them._ He looked at Nat, who nodded, but frowned at the empty spot. Lin Chung frowned, before trying to douse the area with water. A small part of a statue of the girl appeared. He instantly forced more water onto the area, revealing a full statue of the girl. Instantly, his form flickered, and switched to one of a grey haired advisor, who grinned slyly, her dark blue eyes gleaming.

Waving her hand, a large wave of water doused the monsters, which were now more cautious. The group turned to the girl, who seemed amused. "_Hi_."

"Where's Lin Chung?"

"_We are, unfortunately, stuck in one body until you can get all the souls_."

"Wait. What?!" Sara shrieked at the girl, who stepped back.

"_Anger management. Anyway, since the _four_ of us got sucked into here, you need the four of us to revert us all back to normal. Just saying. So, for now, don't be surprised if we flicker back and forth. Ok? Bye_." With that, her form flickered again, and Lin Chung replaced her, his dark eyes scanning them.

"We have to find the others."

* * *

Chapter 9:

Finding Yue was not as easy as expected. Unfortunately, she had chosen a sea. A particular sea where they couldn't dive. "How are we supposed to go in?!" Kowloon asked incredulously, looking at the two alive members of the Houses. Mother Nature, or, more commonly known as Nat, had joined them for this, seeing as how she was the Head of the House of the Elements and Seasons.

It was easy for her to decide, since she had always heard Yue tell her that she wanted to see if she could dive in, though she didn't have time. This was the perfect opportunity for her. She could go down into the water. Into the Dead Sea. But that left her friends stuck. Lin Chung looked at the water, before hesitating.

He turned to Nat, before speaking. "Nat, do you think you can get us down there?"

Nat nodded, but still looked unsure. "But I can't guarantee that I will be able to let us breathe, or even _see_ down there."

"Don't worry. We'll take care of that." Fortem gestured to the three of them. Nodding, Nat looked at the others, and peered down, before they all vanished, appearing inside the sea. For a moment, they panicked, thinking they would have no oxygen, before they realised they could breath.

"Cool." Rosefinch grinned, looking around.

"You'll probably be stuck with a lot of salt on you when we get out." Nat winced, slightly sheepish. Lin Chung didn't seem to care, and the parents seemed alright with it. The others, on the other hand, frowned, looking at her out of wide eyes.

"What?!"

They didn't continue as Lin Chung started swimming away, only catching up to him thanks to Albind and Fortem's magic. After several agonising hours, they reached the bottom of the sea, and peered inside a sort of cave.

"Well, you have the same taste as Yue, that's for certain. What's up with the caves?" Sara demanded, but Lin Chung outright ignored her, instead landing neatly and walking in, not looking back. Not having any other option, the others followed him.

They walked in the dark and slightly damp cave, frowning at how empty it was. Ray turned to Lin Chung. "How come it's so empty here? No fish?"

Lin Chung answered blandly while Nat rolled her eyes. "Too much salt. No one can dive down here except for members of the Houses, or if someone managed to find a way to remove the salt, which I find highly unlikely. There is a reason it is called the _Dead_ Sea, you know."

Ray winced at the sharp remark, and hurried to join the others, as Lin Chung stopped at a corner of the cave, and looked out. "This is too easy. Something's up." At that moment, monsters sprang up, surrounding us.

Lin Chung frowned, before swiping a hand at them. Most of them were flung to the side, where they reformed. Nat tried throwing vines at them, only to see them break free. Lin Chung tossed one of them into the ocean, where they vanished, shrieking in pain.

His eyes widened. _Only Yue can kill them._ He looked at Nat, who nodded, but frowned at the empty spot. Lin Chung frowned, before trying to douse the area with water. A small part of a statue of the girl appeared. He instantly forced more water onto the area, revealing a full statue of the girl. Instantly, his form flickered, and switched to one of a grey haired advisor, who grinned slyly, her dark blue eyes gleaming.

Waving her hand, a large wave of water doused the monsters, which were now more cautious. The group turned to the girl, who seemed amused. "_Hi_."

"Where's Lin Chung?"

"_We are, unfortunately, stuck in one body until you can get all the souls_."

"Wait. What?!" Sara shrieked at the girl, who stepped back.

"_Anger management. Anyway, since the _four_ of us got sucked into here, you need the four of us to revert us all back to normal. Just saying. So, for now, don't be surprised if we flicker back and forth. Ok? Bye_." With that, her form flickered again, and Lin Chung replaced her, his dark eyes scanning them.

"We have to find the others."

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked. **


	10. Desert

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 10:

Speaking-Lin Chung

_Speaking-_Yue

**Speaking-**Ri

"Tell me again why we are here." Rosefinch squinted at the sun in the sky.

_"I told you before. Ri is a fire user. There's really no place for a shape-shifter. So, we look at his powers. War? Not so much. Too predictable. Elemental skill? Yes."_ Rosefinch winced, still not used to the sudden change of form from one person to another.

"Stop. We're here." Lin Chung stopped.

"Then where is he? You guys were visible."

_"Ahem!"_

"After you were doused in water."

_"He's underneath the sand, idiot._"

"Can you stop that, it's kinda confusing."

_"All the more reason for doing it._"

"Yue!" Lin Chung took over now, frowning as he knelt to the sand, ignoring the others' stYin. Dusting the top section away, he frowned. There were dark burns here, as if someone had set fire to it. He looked up. "Definitely here."

"How do we get down?"

"No idea. Yue?" Lin Chung asked the other spirit.

She shrugged as her form became visible. _"No idea._" She knelt down again. _"Maybe there's some sort of riddle or something. After all, Zi _was_ Ri's favourite cousin."_

"Good point, but what does that have to do with this?"

"Hey!" Sara called to them. "What's this?" She was several metres away, recovering a sort of puzzle thing-y. Lin Chung frowned.

"A board game?"

_"Something to do with the sand? I mean, look at the title. Sand raiders or something like that."_

"Sand raiders?" Lin Chung's eyes widened. "That was Ri's favourite game."

"Then how does this link to the sand again?" Sara demanded.

Yue carefully pried the cube from her grasp, and opened it, reading aloud the instructions. _"In order to escape the wrath, you must solve 3 riddles. May seem pointless, to all of you, but you also have a timer. Great._" She groaned. "_Just what we need. A timer and several hard riddles._" A sand timer appeared, labelled for 2 minutes.

"Just read them and see." Lin Chung snapped at her. He took the piece of paper. "This book was once owned only by the rich, but now everyone can have it. You cannot buy it in a bookshelf, or get it from a library. What book is it?"

Yue rolled her eyes. _"A phone book._"

Lin Chung looked at the sheet. "Next one. It is greater than the Houses themselves, and more evil than Twin Masters. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you will die. What is it?"

Fortem frowned. "It doesn't add up. Nothing is more powerful than the Houses."

"And we don't know anything more powerful than Twin Masters." Lin Chung's eyes lit up, but, before he could speak, the others continued.

"Poor have their lives?"

"What about rich? They need life?"

"And poison is something if you eat you will die."

Lin Chung rolled his eyes, but spoke clearly. "Nothing." The next riddle appeared. The sand timer was dwindling to 50 seconds.

"Nothing?" Sara asked, but Yue shut her up.

"_Zip it. We have to solve the next one before we are dead."_ She read the line. "_Name my favourite book. Well, that's o-What?!" _

"That should be easy. Now, what is Ri's favourite book?" Rosefinch asked the members of the Houses, who shrugged. She stared at them incredulously. "You don't know Ri's favourite book?"

Yue snapped her fingers. "_I remember. He used to drone on and on. Something about fire and war? It was located in the desert, remember? I can't remember the title. Remember, Lin Chung? The last book of that series." _

Lin Chung frowned, realisation dawning on him. "Um, something Pyramid War Trilogy, something about a lost war of the place that was buried beneath the Sahara." He frowned, thinking about it. "Something a Lost War."

"_Um, the title._" The sand timer was now dwindling to 10 seconds. Yue's eyes widened, and, as she spoke, the two of their voices sounded as one. "_The Fire Pyramid War Trilogy, The Lost War of the Sirava!"_ The group looked at them, having never heard of the name before.

To their relief, the timer stopped. The two breathed a sigh of relief, before looking at one another. Lin Chung's form flickered, before it solidified and he waved his hand over the ground. A portal appeared, and he leapt in without hesitation.

The other followed, soon enough, before Lin Chung severed the portal shut. A monster's head came down with them. "Oh." Sefa said, frowning at the head of the monster.

They reached the end of the dark tunnel that had appeared, when they saw Ri, frozen in ice. Lin Chung frowned, and Yue took his place, before she slowly moved her hands around Ri. The ice slowly melted. She turned to Sara, who nodded, and set the whole statue on fire.

The spirit woke up, and, for several brief seconds, they saw Ri standing there, his signature smirk on his face. Then, Lin Chung replaced him once again.

**So, what'd I miss?**

* * *

**AN: The book was completely made up in my head…hope you liked. **


	11. Three Down, One To Go

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 11:

Speaking- Lin Chung

_Speaking- _Yue

**Speaking- **Ri

**_Speaking- _**Zi

Several 'ghost' sightings had happened in an abandoned Japanese temple, and the squads were sent there to investigate, Yue, Ri and Lin Chung hoping secretly that it was Zi. They were now heading to it, watching the magnificent yet dulled patterns on it.

Lin Chung's eyes narrowed as he heard Yue's voice in his head. _You can feel it too?_

He unconsciously nodded, and frowned, trying to find out what the problem was, and what is was trying to get him to do, before his eyes widened, and he stomped the ground once, forcing a wall of Earth to grow out of the ground in between the temple and them. "Don't!" Rosefinch's eyes also narrowed, but for a different reason. For some reason, the wall that had just crumbled was weaker than those that Lin Chung had made before. She frowned. She would have to ask him later.

Sefa looked confused. "What do you mean, Lin Chung?"

He shook his head. "Can't you feel it? There's something there. Something strong." Fortem close his eyes, listening carefully, before his eyes glazed over slightly, and Sefa shook him, making him snap back to focus.

"Yes. What do you think it is?" The group turned to Lin Chung. As did the Ancestors.

He frowned. "No idea."

"Does Yue or Ri have any ideas?"

Lin Chung looked at Archer flatly, sighing in frustration. "If she did, what she knows and will probably say will come sprouting out of my mouth, making me sound like a dictionary." He winced as he heard Yue. _Oi!_ and Ri chuckling, before his laughter faded slowly at Yue's death glare. **Right.**

Archer himself winced. "Right."

"Ok, but what is in there?" Albind asked them.

They shrugged, and Lin Chung looked inside the cave, eyes closed. Immediately, after a few seconds, they snapped open once again. "Mind persuasion. Its trying to get us to go away. Or, in other cases, kill ourselves."

"Ouch." Sefa winced. "The owner must really _not_ want anyone going in."

"But what is it?" Lin Chung murmured to himself, before he growled in frustration. "Zi!"

"Zi?" Sefa looked at him. "What does that have _anything_ to do with a ghost house? And, anyway, if it was, why would Zi attack us?"

Lin Chung looked at her. "Simple. Zi is the Seeker for the House of Intelligence, which is known for their mind tricks, attack, defence, or generally persuasion. That was why people claimed to see something here when there is actually nothing here. Zi's mind tricks are affecting their minds."

"But why would he get us here?"

Lin Chung sighed in exasperation, before answering. "Think, Ray. If people see the 'ghosts', then they'll inform Big Green. And Big Green will dispatch us. And who can free Zi?"

"Ah." Mighty Ray winced, sheepish. "Right. Us. Mainly, you."

"But why would he attack us?" Albind asked them.

His answer was flat. "He was a soul previously released from a host body without returning back to his own body for the first time. What do you _think_ he would be like?"

Rosefinch answered back immediately. "Confused. He wouldn't remember us clearly."

"Exactly. That is why, in order to enter the temple, you must have a strong mind barrier, or your mind is just generally strong. That only means a few can enter."

Fortem shook his head. "No. Only _you_ can go."

"Why?"

He sighed. "Lin Chung, if even _we_ would not be able to resist and able to sense it here, which is pretty strong, how strong do you think it will be inside? We can't resist it, meaning, no offence to you guys, bu the mortals cannot stand it. Zi would only want someone trusted from the Houses to enter, and we, technically, in his mind, do not count. You can resist it. After all, as Head of the House,"

"Former." Lin Chung corrected.

"Fine, _former_ Head of the House and being Zi's cousin, you are one of those that he trusts, and you have strong mind barriers. Adding that with Ri and, especially, Yue's barriers, it'll, hopefully, be strong enough to overcome the persuasion to wake Zi. Any, you are, technically, still part of the Houses, still the Head of the Houses since you haven't been officially replaced by another member of the House of Shape-Shifting and Magic."

Lin Chung growled, before cautiously approaching the temple, walking in.

Outside, the others held their breath. "What will happen now?"

"We can do nothing, but pray and wait."

* * *

Lin Chung looked around, frowning. It was quiet. _Too_ quiet. Instantly, he could hear the voice again, and he immediately put up his mind barriers, heading in cautiously.

After he walked into a corridor, deserted, knives began throwing themselves at him, and he successfully dodged them all, mentally thanking Ri, who seemed smug over Yue.

* * *

Lin Chung looked at the complex cube in his hand, and at the sand timer that was slowly going down. "Yue, now would be a really good time to help."

_Fine. Let me out._

Lin Chung did just that, closing his eyes. His form flickered to Yue. _"Crud. Remind me to get Zi back when we return." _

"Just solve it or we're dead."

Yues fingers moved swiftly and silently, trying to solve the complex puzzle. Yue's eyes darted from cube to cube, before she continued on. _Yue, 1 minute._

_"Give me a sec. This isn't exactly easy, you know?!"_ She rushed through the puzzle, growling in frustration, before continuing.

**Yue, 30 seconds!**Ri warned her.

_"Nearly there!" _

**20 seconds.**

_"Stop telling me!" _

"10 seconds."Lin Chung was now also warning her.

_"Nearly finished!" _

The walls around them started to come closer, approaching mercilessly.

"**Yue**!"The two chorused.

_"Done!"_ She cried triumphantly, before throwing the cube into the air portal. The walls stopped moving in, and moved out instead. Yue let out a sigh of relief, before Lin Chung took over again.

A spirit was forced into Lin Chung, and he shook his head. His form flickered to Zi for a few seconds, before he changed back to his usual self.

**_Wonderful. Now what?_**

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked. **


	12. Separation

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 12:

"Please, just do it already." Lin Chung, in his once again 15-year-old form, was looking at them out of weary eyes. It was with a jolt that they realised the pressure of having 4 people in one body, and how it must've been hard to control them all at once. It was also stressful to try and keep them in check, with all of the others also wanting to do something as well, completely against his personality.

The Ancestors nodded, and began chanting, eventually, Lin Chung's eyes glowed a bright blue, and three spirits, all of different forms, shot back by them and into the shades, with Lin Chung nearly collapsing. He looked up at them, and the three of them opened their eyes Yue the first to speak. "We're safe now?"

"Yep. Completely. I think. Wait. Everything in place?" The three looked alarmed, and started looking around their bodies.

"What?" The group looked confused, while Lin Chung only looked amused.

Sefa laughed. "When two spirits go into one body, if they try to separate, they'll usually have something out of place, whether it is physically of mentally. 4 people in 1 body? Destined to be something wrong with at least one of them."

Yue was now biting her lip as she checked herself. "Legs, fine. Arms, fine, hair, fine, eyes," She blinked them, "Fine. Ears: hearing, fine. Voice fine. Smelling, fine. Memory," For a second, she looked panicked, before it became relieved again. "Fine." Then, she changed into around 10 different animals at rapid speed, and smiled. "Good," She then turned to Sefa, who asked her a question in Nathrotic, which she immediately replied to. She sighed in happiness. "Fine."

They turned to Ri, who was looking thoughtful. "Ears, eyes, voice, hair, nose, fine. Arms, legs, fine. Memory: Fine. War: Something's up." Fortem sighed, and turned to Lin Chung, who walked over, and his eyes glowed blue as Fortem started pulling mists out of his head, looking for something, before his face brightened up and he snatched something up, and threw it to Ri, who stumbled back slightly, holding his hand up as a wait gesture, before he flexed his fingers, sighing in relief. "All good."

Zi then turned around. "Um...ears, nose, sight, voice,...ok. Hair, fine. Legs and arms, fine. Hang on. Something's up. Memory, fine, but still..." He looked doubtful, and Yue shot a question to him in another language, which he looked lost to.

"Ok. Something's wrong. You love that question. You think it's his intelligence?" She turned to the Ancestors, who shrugged, and Albind approached Lin Chung, who sighed, closing his eyes, opening them to reveal glowing blue. Albind then seemed to pull more mists out, and when he pulled one, Lin Chung winced, seeming to stumble a bit, being supported by Yue, who nodded at Albind to continue.

Albind then continued pulling them out, until he tugged on one, and Lin Chung let out a shout of pain, before hissing. "Sorry!" Albind then continued, before finally pulling something out, tossing it to Zi, who then blinked several times, and shook his head. Lin Chung went limp, and Yue caught him, looking at Zi. Lin Chung let out a cough, revealing some blood trickling from his mouth.

Yue's eyes widened, and she anxiously looked at her cousin. He shook his head, turning to Zi with an amused look dancing in his eye. "That's what it was. It was giving me a headache. How do you have so much information stored in your mind?" He asked dryly.

Zi shrugged. "Well, for the first time, it was ok. And anyway, I have a reputation to live up too, like Yue, Ri and yourself. Deal with it. You ok?" He asked, concerned, as Lin Chung gave another cough, more blood trickling down his mouth as he wiped it away. "Ask Albind." They turned to him, and he winced.

"I may have accidentally pulled something out that may have disrupted with your magical balance for a few seconds."

"Albind!" Sefa and Sara's tones were scolding.

Yue laughed. "Ha! Two people to keep you in check. Now I know how you're still alive." She turned around to her cousin, looking at him, and pointedly ignoring her father's indignant shout. "Now I wonder who is the 'immature' one now. I have a pretty good idea. Who wants to vote?"

"I'm fine. Just need to rest. Honestly. Remind me to never use that spell again. That was terrible. All of you trying to do something at the same time."

"Hey, I don't want to do that either." Ri shuddered.

"Neither do I. Especially not with Yue." Zi nodded, looking equally scared.

"What's wrong with me?" Yue protested, looking at her brother and cousin.

"Have you ever seen your mind before? There's some pretty scary stuff that I don't want to talk about, or even think about." Ri looked frozen for a second. Yue turned to Lin and Zi, who also nodded.

She then laughed. "Thank you. Your minds are boring. All calculations and no action. Except for the war bits. Those were good. What?" She added, looking at the accusing faces of the three. "You looked in mine, I get to look in yours."

"We didn't stay in there for more than a minute before we nearly ran out, screaming. Honestly! Never let me go there again!" Yue continued laughing, joined in by Sefa, who was looking amused.

"Is it that scary?" Fortem turned to his sons and nephew. They nodded, though Lin Chung didn't really look focused. His eyes were glassy, the only thing that was showing his condition.

"Lin Chung?" Kowloon asked his friend.

He shook his head, as if trying to get something out of his head. "Just need some rest."

"What's wrong with him?" Jumpy was concerned for his best friend.

Sara sighed. "This is gonna be hard to explain, but, here it is in the simplest way. The spell that they used was an effective one, but also a dangerous one. Usually, it works, and all the souls get sucked into one body, with their minds and powers. Lin Chung had to contain this power, as, together, they were all too strong. His magic was trying to make sure his body didn't crumble under the strain of it, while the other powers were trying to get out, as they were usually regularly used, and weren't used to being ignored or unused for one even less than a few hours.

"Because of this, it has taken a lot out of him. Then, came the soul splitting. Because they were already merged for nearly a week, the souls have become closer as one, and it was harder splitting it up, with all the right aspects for the person. Splitting it to more people is more dangerous, as there will be severe consequences. We were lucky that Yue immediately got everything back, and Ri only got a bit. But because Zi didn't have his intelligence, we had to try and pull it out of Lin Chung's body, where it probably already connected to Lin Chung's mind. Pulling it out is a delicate matter, as, if you do anything wrong, the whole mind could immediately change.

"When Albind had to remove the intelligence, which I guess is why he had headaches, to much knowledge crammed into his mind,"

"Wait. I don't mean to be rude," Rosefinch winced, "But isn't it the brain?"

"In this case, no. The mind is actually what we call it, since there is mind tricks. So, as I was saying, too much information was crammed into him mind. It was amazing that his mind didn't crumble under the stress, especially under the mind of the Seeker of Intelligence. It must've been hard, and it was all he could do to keep his temper and powers under control. As you probably noticed, he didn't use his magic for a reason. It was already too busy trying to keep the powers under control, and his mind and body from crumbling. That was the reason you, Rosefinch, saw that the natural ground element that Lin Chung used before was weaker than before.

When Albind interfered with some sort of magical balance in Lin Chung's body, something must've gone wrong for a few seconds, thus enabling it to make him like that. The main reason, though, is that that was the first time they used the spell, and it was far more complicated than it seems, so Lin Chung was not experienced in this sort of matter, making him unstable for a few days."

"Will he be ok?"

Fortem sighed. "We don't know. But, for now," He turned to the four. "We have to go. Your time on this Earth has been long overdue." They looked saddened.

"So, does that mean that Lin Chung and Yue will have to go to?" Jumpy asked, scared. Lin Chung was his first and best friend in Big Green.

"Unfortunately, yes. They will never be able to see you again." The four parents vanished.

Yue sighed, still supporting Lin Chung. "Are you ok?" Jumpy asked him once more.

He smiled. "I'll be fine, Jumpy."

"So, this is good-bye?" Sonia asked hesitantly.

Yue snorted. "And abandon you for the battle that we have been preparing for? No freaking way. We'll see you soon." This earned several chuckles from the others.

"When?"

Lin Chung smiled serenely. "We'll be with you for the final battle." With that, the four disappeared.

* * *

**AN: Hope you liked. Next chapter will probably be the last.**


	13. Battle…and the End?

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

Chapter 13:

Sefa's PoV

I looked down at the children, fighting so valiantly. Yue was on the dome, a mischievous smirk on her face as her eyes gleamed as she shot volley of arrows after volley, all accurately hitting their targets. When the arrow ran out, she turned, her hair flapping in the wind, to get her crossbow, which also lasted her several good shots. Then, no other long ranged weapons left, she leapt down nimbly, slashing through the monsters well with her twin hunting knives, with grace and elegant movement, like flowing water.

Ln Chung was at the bottom from the start. He had his bamboo shooter out, and was firing some of the giants as it struck them when he was clear of anyone a short distance away. His eyes gleamed with joy as he waded through the giants' ranks. He ducked and dodged, all of the actions instinctual as he moved through the army. Even though his movements weren't flowing and graceful like Yue, his movements were clearly strong and powerful, like the sturdy earth.

Ri was smirking as he ran to the army, dodging a blow before drawing two sabres, flashing them through the giants, easily tearing through them. No monster 5 feet near him could get away alive. His eyes gleamed with a sort of joyful look as he slashed two giants at the same time. All of his actions had meaning behind them. If he ran away from one giant, it was so that another could smash his club into the giant's face for him. His movements were powerful and full of energy, like a roaring fire.

Zi also had a sort of grin on his face as he slashed through the giants with ease. His movements were light and graceful, and his footsteps were light, not heavy, enabling him to move from one place to another with alarming speed. He had one sword and dagger out, one used to block and the other to attack. He mostly relied on his gymnastics and agility to dodge and duck, but was still able to land good blows on the army. His movements were light and carefree, like the swirling air.

One common thing they all shared with each other was their joy of fighting, and their skill. Their skills would even rival King Arthur's, the most famous swordsman in history. Fighting was one of the things that they enjoyed, having the freedom of moving as they wished in the battlefield, syncing perfectly with each other without words, already knowing what each other were about to do. Usually, the only hints would be the small smirk on the lips, and the gleam in their eyes, revealing that they were actually having fun on the battlefield..

If they were destructive individually, when they teamed up, the army had no chance at all. Yue would slash at one monster, while Lin Chung would slide under and catch two monsters off-guard. Zi would dodge a giant, only for the giant to be slashed by Ri. They had each other's backs.

I soon joined the battle, wielding the two hunting knives that Yue liked to use, before I felt the presence of Albind beside me. I looked at the others. Fortem and Sara were working together, and the younger four had split up.

Lin Chung now fought with Yue, while Ri was with Zi. They were working together well, and the former of the two pairs joined me and Albind, all of us covering each other's weak spots. Yue's eyes positively gleamed, until the two were separated from us once again.

I soon saw Lin Chung engaging Twin Masters, and Yue engaging Encaedulus in battle. I frowned, now wondering where Ri and Zi were. It was soon obvious where they were. They were killing the giants, one by one, as the mortals distracted them.

I wasn't conscious what had happened. Suddenly, all I could hear was the sound of Twin Masters ordering his scattered troops to retreat, while Encaedulus had escaped. I snorted. Coward. The others easily slashed at the monsters that tried to run.

The battle was over. We had won.

I smiled at the mortals celebrating their victory, before sighing, looking at the four. Lin Chung was currently arguing with Fortem about something, though I couldn't be bothered to check what. This used to occur regularly. Yue seemed amused though, and I was reminded that she hardly saw the sight, only once or twice.

Ri, Zi, Sara and Albind, who I only noticed was gone, were not anywhere around. I sighed. They must've gone, sick of the fighting. Yue waved me over, before whispering to me. "Did this happen often?"

"Too many times to count." I sighed, before Yue laughed, continued watching them. The squads soon joined us, looking amused yet puzzled at the language they used. Fortem spat out a particular nasty word, which Lin Chung only growled to in response, and smiled quickly at the squads, nodding to them, before disappearing. Fortem shouted some other words, before he sulked and disappeared as well.

The squads only noticed us. "Oh. Hi." Rosefinch said, sounding awkward.

Yue laughed. "Well, I'll be seeing you soon, the others will as well." She chuckled. "Well, tell Fortem that he is a terrible role-model, and that I am appalled at the fact that Lin Chung is his son, alright, Sefa?" I nodded, and laughed again.

"You're going to Nirond?" Rosefinch asked.

Yue sighed, shaking her head.

"But the others returned to Nirond."

"No, they didn't. The other three have simply gone in hiding."

"Why?" Kowloon asked.

"Twin Masters is trying to do something big. We need to try and accelerate our plans. The Dead being unleashed is only the beginning."

"The dead?"

"The monsters were from the Land of the Dead. We have to find out how they were able to escape. Twin Masters shouldn't be able to have access to the Dead."

"So you're still going to be in the Houses, right?"

"No." Yue shook her head. "We'll come out soon enough. If it is required, we may try and get to the Spirit World. For now, our line ends."

"So, the House of Shape-Shifting and Magic ends?" Rosefinch asked incredulously.

Yue laughed. As did I, before Yue answered. "No. I said _our_ line. Lin Chung, Ri, Zi and I. We may take over if necessary, but remember. The House of Shape-Shifting will always stay. There are already four that are training. New ones."

"Wait. Children?" Sonia asked, looking confused.

Yue nodded. "They will take over."

"Whose?"

"A particular fire-user." With that, she vanished, and I smiled as realisation dawned on them. "Tell them we said hi." I said simply to them.

"Wait. What?"

I shrugged, smiling, before I left for Nirond, the others still calling for us.

I guess we all had to wait for the time where they would return. Until then.

* * *

**AN: In my mind, Sefa's mind works like Yue's, just a bit more mature and experienced. And proud. End of story, thanks for reading!**


End file.
